Memory of Theatre

The Memory of Theatre is a collaboration between University of Bristol Department of Drama, cultural industry partner Bristol Old Vic and digital economy partner Pyxis Design. Directed by Tom Morris (Artistic Director of Bristol Old Vic) and Paul Clarke (Lecturer and director of theatre company Uninvited Guests), the project will explore the relationship between archives and memories, the way performance events live on through the stories told by audience members and the relationship between heritage buildings, especially theatres, and remembering.

The purest archives for the magic of theatre are the hearts and minds of the audiences who experience it, who dream their dreams through it, and imagine realities beyond the cues and prompts they receive from the stage. We will create a dynamic, interactive archive from the most vivid memories of our audiences, concealing them in the ether of our auditorium and foyer where, through groundbreaking digital technology, they can be unearthed and overlaid by generations of theatre-goers to come, creating a living archaeology of theatrical history from the audience's point of view.

The outcome will be a working prototype for a commercially viable, user-friendly and sustainable system for indoor positioning, a transferable solution for delivering location-triggered experiences in heritage buildings.